System and method for determining an insurance premium based on complexity of a vehicle trip

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for pricing an insurance premium based on route complexity. The system includes a computer memory and a processor in communication with the computer memory. The computer memory stores telematics data received from a sensor within a vehicle. The telematics data includes at least one of geo-position information of the vehicle and vehicle kinematics data. The processor is configured to compute a complexity score of the trip based on the telematics data. The processor is also configured to determine a price for automobile insurance for the driver based on the complexity score of the at least one trip.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/213,493, entitled System and Method for Computing andScoring the Complexity of a Vehicle Trip Using Geo-Spatial Information,filed Aug. 19, 2011, the entirety of which is incorporated herein byreference for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

In general, the invention relates to a computerized system and methodfor determining the price of an insurance premium based on thecomplexity of one or more vehicle trips.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The insurance industry has begun exploring the use of telematics sensorsand other location-aware devices in motor vehicles as a way ofdetermining driver behavior and, from this, driver risk for the purposesof underwriting, pricing, renewing, and servicing vehicle insurance. Thedevices can capture very high frequency information on location, speed,vehicle handling, vehicle characteristics, and other factors, which canbe used in setting vehicle insurance rates. This rich high frequencydata can be used to understand the intricacy or complexity of thespecific path a vehicle takes from one destination to another. Morecomplex or intricate routes are subject to a larger proportion ofdirectional changes, accelerations, decelerations, braking, and otherdriving events that are inherently more risky than driving at a singlespeed along a straight road. Thus, more complex trips have a higherpotential for accidents than less complex trips and should be animportant component of evaluating driver risk.

SUMMARY

Therefore, there is a need in the art for an accurate and objectivemeasure of route complexity that is correlated with the likelihood ofaccidents and losses. Such a measure can be calculated from highfrequency location information and/or other vehicle data, such as speed,orientation, and acceleration. Statistical analysis of the highfrequency data can be used to classify the complexity of an individualtrip or trip segment. One particular statistical measure for quantifyingroute complexity is the fractal dimension of the route. By analyzing thecomplexity of many trips, an aggregate driving complexity rating fordetermining driver risk and an insurance rate can be calculated.

Accordingly, systems and methods are disclosed herein for pricing aninsurance premium based on route complexity. The system includes acomputer memory and a processor in communication with the computermemory. The computer memory stores telematics data received from asensor within a vehicle. The telematics data includes at least one ofgeo-position information of the vehicle and vehicle kinematics data. Theprocessor is configured to compute a complexity score of the trip basedon the telematics data. The processor is also configured to determine aprice for automobile insurance for the driver based on the complexityscore of the at least one trip.

The complexity score can be calculated based on at least one of afractal dimension of the trip, changes in orientation of the vehicle,speed of the vehicle, acceleration of the vehicle, and jerk of thevehicle. A complexity score of a trip and a maximum speed of a trip canbe used to determine a safety score of the trip. An overall complexityrating for a driver can be calculated based on the complexity scores fora plurality of trips taken by the driver. The processor can determinethe number of trips to include in the overall complexity rating byanalyzing the variation in the complexity scores of the trips taken bythe driver over time. In some embodiments, the processor identifiessafety events which occurred during the trip and determines a severityestimation of these safety events.

In some embodiments, a retroactive adjustment is applied to the price ofan automobile insurance premium for the period during which thetelematics data was collected. In other embodiments, a prospectiveadjustment is applied to a price of an automobile insurance premium fora future period. In some embodiments, determining a price for automobileinsurance involves setting a price for a new automobile insurance plan.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to computerizedmethods for carrying out the functionalities described above. Accordingto another aspect, the invention relates to non-transitory computerreadable medium having stored therein instructions for causing aprocessor to carry out the functionalities described above.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a computerizedmethod for selecting a trip based on the price of an insurance premiumfor the trip. The method involves receiving data related to a startpoint of the trip and the end point of the trip. A processor determinesdata related to at least two different routes between the start pointand the end point. The data includes at least one of geo-positioninformation corresponding to the route and expected vehicle kinematicsdata expected to occur along the route. The processor then computes acomplexity score for each of the routes based on the data related toeach of the routes. The processor selects a route that has a lowercomplexity score than at least one of the other routes. The lowercomplexity score of the selected route corresponds to an insurancepremium that is lower than the insurance premium of the at least oneother route.

In some embodiments, the processor outputs the price for the insurancepremiums of at least two of the routes. The customer may be able toselect to purchase insurance coverage for one of the routes. Rather thanselecting a route solely on the insurance premium cost, the processormay select a route that has a lower total trip cost than at least oneother route. The total trip cost includes at least the insurance premiumprice, the cost of fuel, and tolls.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to another system forpricing an insurance premium based on route complexity. The systemincludes a computer memory and a processor in communication with thecomputer memory. The computer memory stores telematics data receivedfrom a sensor within a vehicle. The telematics data includes at leastone of geo-position information of the vehicle and vehicle kinematicsdata. The processor is configured to retrieve information related to anautomobile insurance policy and receive at least a portion of the storedtelematics data from the computer memory. The processor computes acomplexity score of the trip based on the telematics data and stores thecomputed complexity score. The processor calculates a price adjustmentfor a premium for the automobile insurance policy based on the retrievedinformation related to the policy and the complexity score of the atleast one trip, applies the price adjustment to the insurance premium,and outputs the adjusted price for the premium for the automobileinsurance policy.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to another system forpricing an insurance premium based on route complexity. The systemincludes a computer memory for storing information related to anautomobile insurance policy and a processor in communication with thecomputer memory. The processor is configured to receive a fractalcomplexity score of the trip based on telematics data received from asensor within a vehicle. The telematics data includes at least one ofgeo-position information of the vehicle and vehicle kinematics data. Theprocessor determines a price for automobile insurance for the driverbased on the fractal complexity score of the at least one trip. Theprocessor stores the price for the automobile insurance in the computermemory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an architectural model of a system for setting the price of aninsurance premium based on route complexity, according to anillustrative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computing system as used in FIG. 1,according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a vehicle and a device coupled to thevehicle for collecting data related to route complexity, according to anillustrative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for determining a complexity ratingfor a driver and computing an insurance premium based on the complexityrating, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5A is a plot of an illustrative route traveled by a vehicle overlatitude and longitude.

FIG. 5B is a plot of a different illustrative route traveled by avehicle over latitude and longitude that is more complex than the routeof FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is a plot of the route of FIG. 5A with boxes imposed over theroute for demonstrating an illustrative method for calculating routecomplexity.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for determining how much route data tocollect and, when data collection is complete, computing an insurancepremium based on the route data, according to an illustrative embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for determining a complexity ratingfor a route and setting the price of an insurance premium for a futuretrip based on the complexity of the route, according to an illustrativeembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a graphical user interface for displaying a routebetween two locations and a price for the route based in part on thecomplexity of the route, according to an illustrative embodiment of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

To provide an overall understanding of the invention, certainillustrative embodiments will now be described, including systems andmethods for computing and scoring the complexity of a vehicle trip usinggeo-spatial information. However, it will be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art that the systems and methods described hereinmay be adapted and modified as is appropriate for the application beingaddressed and that the systems and methods described herein may beemployed in other suitable applications, and that such other additionsand modifications will not depart from the scope thereof.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 for setting the price of aninsurance premium based on route complexity, according to anillustrative embodiment. The system 100 uses data collected along one ormore routes traveled by a vehicle to determine the complexity of thoseroutes. In general, the more turns, changes in orientation,accelerations, decelerations, changes in speed, etc. that a route has,the more complex it is. For example, a route along a straight highwaywith little traffic is less complex than a route through the center of adensely trafficked city. An insurance company uses route data, such asglobal positioning data, acceleration/deceleration data, speed data,and/or vehicle orientation data collected along a route traveled by thevehicle to determine the complexity of the route. With a sufficientamount of data, typically collected over multiple trips, the insurancecompany can calculate an overall complexity rating describing thecomplexity of routes taken by the driver and/or the driver's drivinghabits on the routes. The insurance company can use the complexityrating for setting or adjusting the price of an insurance premium. Insome implementations, individual route complexities and/or the drivers'complexity ratings are determined by a third party data processingservice. In addition, the insurance premium price may be set by anunderwriter, which may be a part of the insurance company or otherwiseaffiliated with or in a third party arrangement with the insurancecompany.

The system 100 includes one or more vehicles 102, each having a datacollection device 104. The vehicle 102 may be an automobile, motorcycle,truck, bus, watercraft, aircraft, or any other vehicle operated by adriver. A data collection device 104 is coupled to a vehicle 102 forcollecting data about the vehicle's location, movements, or otherinformation that can be used to determine route complexity. For vehicleswith multiple drivers, the data may be associated with the vehicleitself or with the individual drivers. The data collection device 104may be positioned inside the vehicle, attached to the outside of thevehicle, or integrated into the vehicle. The data collection device 104is in communication with an insurance company system 108 over acommunication network 150. The data collection device 104 maycommunicate with the insurance company system 108 though a wirelessnetwork such as a cellular network or using a wireless Internetconnection. In general, the data collection device 104 can be anycomputing device or plurality of computing devices in cooperation havinga data collection sensor (e.g., an antenna or an accelerometer), aprocessor, a memory, and a means for transmitting the collected data.The customer vehicle 102 or data collection device 104 may include anantenna for receiving signals from global navigation satellite system(GNSS) satellites, numbered 1 through n in FIG. 1. In oneimplementation, the data collection device 104 is also configured toprocess the collected data. In some embodiments, the data processingprotects the driver's privacy by encrypting the data, removing locationinformation, producing summary information, or taking other measures toreduce the likelihood that location information, speed information, orother sensitive information are received by the insurance company orthird parties.

In some embodiments, rather than sending collected data directly to theinsurance company system 108, the data collection device 104 sendscollected data to a data processing service 106, which processes thedata to determine a route complexity and/or an overall complexity ratingfor a driver that is then sent to the insurance company system 108 forsetting an insurance premium price. This can help protect a driver'sprivacy, since the insurance company does not get detailed data about adriver's location, but only receives summary information. Using a dataprocessing service 106 is in some implementations also preferable tohaving the data collection device 104 process data to output a routecomplexity because it reduces the processing power needed by datacollection device 104 and because using a third party data processingservice 106 may also make it more difficult for drivers to tamper withthe data. The data processing service can perform additional monitoringfunctions, such as vehicle security monitoring or providinglocation-based alerts (e.g., alerting a parent or employer when avehicle goes outside of a specified range) and/or speed alerts.

The insurance company system 108 includes a plurality of applicationservers 112, a plurality of load balancing proxy servers 114, aninsurance company database 116, a processing unit 120, and companyterminal 122. These computing devices are connected by a local areanetwork 124.

The application servers 112 are responsible for interacting with thedata collection device 104 and/or the data processing service 106. Thedata exchange between the insurance company system 108 and datacollection device 104 and/or data processing service 106 can utilizepush and pull technologies where the application servers 112 of theinsurance company system 108 can act as both a server and client forpushing data to the data processing service 106 (e.g., which vehicles tomonitor, when to stop data collection, rules for monitoring servicesrequested by the customer) and for pulling data from the data processingservice 106. The application servers 112 or other servers of theinsurance company system 108 can request to receive periodic data feedsfrom the data collection device 104 and/or data processing service 106.The communication between the application servers 112 and the dataprocessing service 106 can follow various known communication protocols,such as TCP/IP. Alternatively, the application servers 112 and dataprocessing service 106 can communicate with each other wirelessly, e.g.,via cellular communication, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, or other wirelesscommunications technologies or combination of wired or wirelesschannels. The load balancing proxy servers 114 operate to distribute theload among application servers 112.

The insurance company database 116 stores information about vehicularinsurance policies. For each insurance policy, the database 116 includesfor example and without limitation, the following data fields: policycoverage, complexity rating, policy limits, deductibles, the agentresponsible for the sale or renewal, the date of purchase, dates ofsubsequent renewals, product and price of product sold, applicableautomation services (for example, electronic billing, automaticelectronic funds transfers, centralized customer service planselections, etc.), customer information, customer payment history, orderivations thereof.

The processing unit 120 is configured for determining the price of aninsurance premium based on the complexity rating for a driver orvehicle. The processing unit 120 may comprise multiple separateprocessors, such as a complexity processor, which calculates acomplexity rating from raw or processed data from the data collectiondevice 104 or data processing service 106 over the communicationsnetwork 150; and a business logic processor, which determines a premiumprice for a policyholder based on, among other things, the complexityrating. In some embodiments, insurance premium prices or information formaking insurance pricing determinations may be generated by athird-party underwriter, which is separate from the insurance companysystem 108. An exemplary implementation of a computing device for use inthe processing unit 120 is discussed in greater detail in relation toFIG. 2.

The company terminals 122 provide various user interfaces to insurancecompany employees to interact with the processing system 120. Theinterfaces include, without limitation, interfaces to review complexitydata, route complexity, and complexity ratings; to retrieve data relatedto insurance policies; to manually adjust a route complexity orcomplexity rating; and to manually adjust premium pricing. In someinstances, different users may be given different access privileges. Forexample, marketing employees may only be able to retrieve information oninsurance policies but not make any changes to data. Such interfaces maybe integrated into one or more websites for managing the insurancecompany system 108 presented by the application servers 112, or they maybe integrated into thin or thick software clients or stand-alonesoftware. The company terminals 122 can be any computing devicessuitable for carrying out the processes described above, includingpersonal computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones,servers, and other computing devices.

The user terminal 130 provides various user interfaces to customers tointeract with the insurance company system 108 over the communicationsnetwork 150. Potential customers can use user terminals 130 to retrievepolicy and pricing information for insurance policies offered by theinsurance company. Customers can enter information pertaining to changesin their insurance policy, e.g., changes in policy coverage, addition orsubtraction of drivers, addition or subtraction of vehicles, relocation,mileage information, etc. Customers can also use the user terminal 130for a pay-as-you-go insurance policy in which customers purchaseinsurance by the trip or mile. This type of policy is described inrelation to FIGS. 8 and 9, and a screenshot from an exemplary web pagethat a customer with a pay-as-you-go insurance policy can use is show inFIG. 9.

In some embodiments, the data collection device 104 may not becontinually connected to the insurance company system 108 via thenetwork 150. For example, the data collection device 104 may beconfigured to temporarily store data if the data collection device 104becomes disconnected from the network, like when it travels out of rangeof cellular towers. When the connection is restored, the data collectiondevice 104 can then transmit the temporarily stored data to theinsurance company system 108. The data collection device 104 mayalternatively be configured to connect to the communications network 150through a user's home Wi-Fi network. In this case, the data collectiondevice 104 stores trip data until it returns to the vicinity of theuser's home, connects to the user's wireless network, and sends thedata. In some embodiments, the data collection device 104 is notconnected to the network 150 at all, but rather, data collected istransmitted to the insurance company though other means. For example, acustomer can receive a data collection device 104 from the insurancecompany, couple the device 104 to his car for a set period of time ornumber of miles, and then either mail the device 104 with the collecteddata to the insurance company system 108 or extract and send thecollected data to the insurance company system 108 via mail, email, orthough a website.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computing device 200 used for carryingout at least one of complexity processing and business logic processingdescribed in relation to FIG. 1, according to an illustrative embodimentof the invention. The computing device comprises at least one networkinterface unit 204, an input/output controller 206, system memory 208,and one or more data storage devices 214. The system memory 208 includesat least one random access memory (RAM) 210 and at least one read-onlymemory (ROM) 212. All of these elements are in communication with acentral processing unit (CPU) 202 to facilitate the operation of thecomputing device 200. The computing device 200 may be configured in manydifferent ways. For example, the computing device 200 may be aconventional standalone computer or alternatively, the functions ofcomputing device 200 may be distributed across multiple computer systemsand architectures. The computing device 200 may be configured to performsome or all of the complexity and business logic processing, or thesefunctions may be distributed across multiple computer systems andarchitectures. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the computing device200 is linked, via network 150 or local network 124 (also described inFIG. 1), to other servers or systems housed by the insurance companysystem 108, such as the load balancing server 114, and the applicationservers 112.

The computing device 200 may be configured in a distributedarchitecture, wherein databases and processors are housed in separateunits or locations. The computing device 200 may also be implemented asa server located either on site near the insurance company system 108,or it may be accessed remotely by the insurance company system 108. Somesuch units perform primary processing functions and contain at a minimuma general controller or a processor 202 and a system memory 208. In suchan embodiment, each of these units is attached via the network interfaceunit 204 to a communications hub or port (not shown) that serves as aprimary communication link with other servers, client or user computersand other related devices. The communications hub or port may haveminimal processing capability itself, serving primarily as acommunications router. A variety of communications protocols may be partof the system, including, but not limited to: Ethernet, SAP, SAS™, ATP,BLUETOOTH™, GSM and TCP/IP.

The CPU 202 comprises a processor, such as one or more conventionalmicroprocessors and one or more supplementary co-processors such as mathco-processors for offloading workload from the CPU 202. The CPU 202 isin communication with the network interface unit 204 and theinput/output controller 206, through which the CPU 202 communicates withother devices such as other servers, user terminals, or devices. Thenetwork interface unit 204 and/or the input/output controller 206 mayinclude multiple communication channels for simultaneous communicationwith, for example, other processors, servers or client terminals.Devices in communication with each other need not be continuallytransmitting to each other. On the contrary, such devices need onlytransmit to each other as necessary, may actually refrain fromexchanging data most of the time, and may require several steps to beperformed to establish a communication link between the devices.

The CPU 202 is also in communication with the data storage device 214.The data storage device 214 may comprise an appropriate combination ofmagnetic, optical and/or semiconductor memory, and may include, forexample, RAM, ROM, flash drive, an optical disc such as a compact discand/or a hard disk or drive. The CPU 202 and the data storage device 214each may be, for example, located entirely within a single computer orother computing device; or connected to each other by a communicationmedium, such as a USB port, serial port cable, a coaxial cable, anEthernet type cable, a telephone line, a radio frequency transceiver orother similar wireless or wired medium or combination of the foregoing.For example, the CPU 202 may be connected to the data storage device 214via the network interface unit 204.

The CPU 202 may be configured to perform one or more particularprocessing functions. For example, the computing device 200 may beconfigured for calculating a complexity score for a route. The samecomputing device 200 or another similar computing device may beconfigured for calculating an aggregate complexity rating based onmultiple complexity scores. The same computing device 200 or anothersimilar computing device may be configured for calculating an insurancepremium for a vehicle based at least the complexity scores and/or thecomplexity rating.

The data storage device 214 may store, for example, (i) an operatingsystem 216 for the computing device 200; (ii) one or more applications218 (e.g., computer program code and/or a computer program product)adapted to direct the CPU 202 in accordance with the present invention,and particularly in accordance with the processes described in detailwith regard to the CPU 202; and/or (iii) database(s) 220 adapted tostore information that may be utilized to store information required bythe program. The database(s) 220 may including all or a subset of datastored in insurance company database 116, described above with respectto FIG. 1, as well as additional data, such as formulas or manualadjustments, used in establishing the insurance risk for a vehicle.

The operating system 216 and/or applications 218 may be stored, forexample, in a compressed, an uncompiled and/or an encrypted format, andmay include computer program code. The instructions of the program maybe read into a main memory of the processor from a computer-readablemedium other than the data storage device 214, such as from the ROM 212or from the RAM 210. While execution of sequences of instructions in theprogram causes the CPU 202 to perform the process steps describedherein, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of, or in combinationwith, software instructions for implementation of the processes of thepresent invention. Thus, embodiments of the present invention are notlimited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

Suitable computer program code may be provided for scoring thecomplexity of a route as described in relation to FIGS. 3-8. The programalso may include program elements such as an operating system, adatabase management system and “device drivers” that allow the processorto interface with computer peripheral devices (e.g., a video display, akeyboard, a computer mouse, etc.) via the input/output controller 206.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to anynon-transitory medium that provides or participates in providinginstructions to the processor of the computing device (or any otherprocessor of a device described herein) for execution. Such a medium maytake many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media andvolatile media. Nonvolatile media include, for example, optical,magnetic, or opto-magnetic disks, or integrated circuit memory, such asflash memory. Volatile media include dynamic random access memory(DRAM), which typically constitutes the main memory. Common forms ofcomputer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexibledisk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM,DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any otherphysical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM orEEPROM (electronically erasable programmable read-only memory), aFLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any othernon-transitory medium from which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to the CPU 202 (or anyother processor of a device described herein) for execution. Forexample, the instructions may initially be borne on a magnetic disk of aremote computer (not shown). The remote computer can load theinstructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over anEthernet connection, cable line, or even telephone line using a modem. Acommunications device local to a computing device (e.g., a server) canreceive the data on the respective communications line and place thedata on a system bus for the processor. The system bus carries the datato main memory, from which the processor retrieves and executes theinstructions. The instructions received by main memory may optionally bestored in memory either before or after execution by the processor. Inaddition, instructions may be received via a communication port aselectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, which are exemplaryforms of wireless communications or data streams that carry varioustypes of information.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a vehicle 102 having a data collectiondevice 104. As described with regard to FIG. 1, the vehicle 102 may bean automobile, motorcycle, truck, bus, watercraft, aircraft, or anyother vehicle operated by a driver. The vehicle 102 includes a vehiclecomputer 302, an on-board diagnostics (OBD) port 304, and vehicletelematics sensors 306. The data collection device 104 is connected tothe vehicle 102 via an OBD port connector 322 connected to the OBD port304 to receive telematics data and other information. The datacollection device 104 includes a CPU 310, a GNSS receiver 312, anaccelerometer 314, memory 316, a user interface 318, and a wirelesscommunications device 320. The CPU 310 is in communication with theother elements of the data collection device 104 to facilitate theoperation of the data collection device 104. The CPU can also beconfigured to process data received from the GNSS receiver 312, theaccelerometer 314, and the OBD port connector 322. Data processing mayinclude calculating route complexities, calculating complexity ratings,calculating intermediate values for determining route complexities, orencrypting data sent by the wireless communications device 320.

The GNSS receiver 312 includes an antenna and associated signalprocessing circuitry for receiving signals from global navigationsatellite system (GNSS) satellites, such as the satellites numbered 1through n in FIG. 1, and determining its location from the signals. GNSSsatellites may be, for example, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, or Beidousatellites which send time and orbital data from which the datacollection device 104 can calculate its location. In someconfigurations, the CPU 310 calculates the location of the vehicle fromdata from the receiver 312. The CPU 310 can pull location data from theGNSS receiver 312 at set time intervals, such as every 0.1 seconds, 0.2seconds, 0.5 seconds, 1 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, or 10 seconds. TheCPU 310 sends the location data to the memory 316 along with a time anddate stamp indicating when the vehicle was at the location. In someembodiments, the GNSS receiver 312 may be part of a separate GNSS deviceused by the driver for obtaining driving directions. In this case, theGNSS receiver 312 transmits data to the data collection device 104though a wired connection or a wireless connection, e.g., BLUETOOTH orWi-Fi.

The accelerometer 314 is a device that measures proper acceleration.Data collected from an accelerometer 314 may include or be used forobtaining the g-force, acceleration, orientation, shock, vibration,jerk, velocity, speed, and/or position of the vehicle. Some or all ofthese types of data are received or calculated by the CPU 310. The CPU310 may collect data at intervals such as every 0.1 seconds, 0.2seconds, 0.5 seconds, 1 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, or 10 seconds andstore the data in the memory 316. Each data point is time and datestamped and/or location stamped. In some embodiments, the CPU 310determines intervals between data stored in the memory 316 based ontrends in the data. The rate of data collection may vary based on theroute complexity; for example, if a driver is travelling along astraight road at a consistent speed, the CPU 310 may save data lessfrequently than if the driver is making frequent turns. In someembodiments, only “exception data” evident of safety events or otherunusual driving behavior is stored. For example, the CPU 310 may onlysave accelerations, decelerations, hard turns, speeds, lane changespeeds, etc. with rates above a certain threshold.

The OBD port connector 322 is used to collect data from the vehiclecomputer 302 and/or vehicle telematics sensors 306 via OBD port 304. Thevehicle computer 302 may provide information about the vehicle's speed,the number of miles traveled, whether the vehicle is running or not,seatbelt usage, airbag deployment, and vehicle diagnostics. Vehiclediagnostics data can be used to determine whether a safety event wascaused by the driver's actions or related to a vehicle malfunction, suchas low tire pressure, low oil pressure, high engine temperature, loss ofpower, and stalling. The vehicle may contain additional telematicssensors 306 for, e.g., vehicle tracking, monitoring gasolineconsumption, and vehicle safety. Data obtained by the data collectiondevice 104 from the vehicle computer 302 and telematics sensors 306 viathe OBD port 304 can supplement or be used instead of data collected bythe GNSS receiver 312 and/or accelerometer 314. In some embodiments, thedata collection device 104 turns on automatically when the vehicle isturned on; the data collection device 104 may be powered by the vehicle102.

The data collection device 104 also includes a wireless communicationsdevice 320 for sending collected data to and receiving commands from thedata processing service 106 and/or insurance company system 108 via thenetwork 150. The data collection device 104 may also be configured forcommunication with the driver or a passenger via user interface 318. Theuser interface 318 includes output components, such as a screen orspeakers, and input components, such as a touch screen, keyboard, ormicrophone. The user interface 318 can output complexity data, routesummary data, vehicle diagnostics data, and any data collected from theGNSS receiver 312, accelerometer 314, and/or OBD port 304. In someembodiments, the data collection device 104 is also a navigation devicethat can calculate and display a route to a destination inputted by theuser.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method 400 for determining a complexityrating for a driver and computing an insurance premium based on thecomplexity rating. The method 400 includes the steps of obtainingtelematics data for multiple trips (step 402), computing a routecomplexity score for each trip (step 404), calculating a complexityrating based on multiple complexity scores (step 406), and computing aninsurance premium based on the complexity rating (step 408). The method400 can be performed by the data collection device 104, the dataprocessing service 106, the insurance company system 108, or anycombination of these.

To obtain telematics data for a trip (step 402), data from receivers andsensors such as GNSS receiver 312, accelerometer 314, vehicle computer302, and vehicle telematics sensors 306 are collected by the datacollection device 104 and stored in the memory 306 of the datacollection device 306 and/or sent to the data processing service 106 orinsurance company system 108. The telematics data is stored at least bythe device or system calculating a complexity rating for each trip (step404). Data from a plurality of trips is collected since the complexityof a single trip may not be representative of the types or variety oftrips traveled by a driver. A driver typically uses his vehicle fordifferent types of trips, such as commuting to work, running errands,recreational trips, long-distance travel, etc., which occur on differentroutes and at different times of the day, and data from these varioustrips traveled by the driver should be included when pricing theinsurance premium.

Once data for a trip has been collected, the complexity of the trip iscalculated (step 404). One metric for describing the complexity of thetrip is fractal dimension. Fractal dimension is a statistical quantitythat gives an indication of how completely a fractal appears to fill aspace. Fractal dimension for a two dimensional curve ranges from 1 to 2.A straight line has a fractal dimension of 1; a completely filled intwo-dimensional space has a fractal dimension of 2. A more complex trip,e.g., a trip having more turns, accelerations, decelerations, changes inspeed and orientation, etc. than a less complex trip, has a greaterlikelihood or average number of safety events. A safety event refers toan occurrence of a sudden change in speed or orientation, which may leadto an accident. A more complex trip also has a higher fractal dimensionthan a less complex trip. As an example, the fractal dimension can becalculated for a two-dimensional plot of the driver's location overtime. FIGS. 5A and 5B are plots of two routes over latitude (x-axis) andlongitude (y-axis). FIG. 5A has a relatively small number of turns, andmany of the turns are smooth. FIG. 5A is representative of a highway orcountry road. On the other hand, FIG. 5B has many more turns than FIG.5A, and the turns are sharper. The driver in FIG. 5B appears to makingmany turns at 90° angles, most likely within a city. One can see bylooking at the plots that the route of FIG. 5B is more complex than theroute of FIG. 5A, and this is reflected in the fractal dimensions of theroutes: the route in FIG. 5A has a fractal dimension of 1.137, and theroute in FIG. 5B has a fractal dimension of 1.291.

There are many calculation processes for determining the fractaldimension of a route, including box-counting dimension calculation,correlation dimension calculation, and Lyaponuv exponents calculation.Each calculation is performed using a different algorithm, but any ofthe calculations should return the same or similar fractal dimension fora route. As an example, the box-counting dimension calculation, alsocalled the Minkowski-Bouligand dimension calculation, is illustrated inFIG. 6 for the route of FIG. 5A. A grid can be formed over the path intwo dimensions, and boxes are drawn over any square of the grid throughwhich the path travels. The box-counting procedure involves counting thenumber of boxes that would be required to cover a path. If smaller boxesare drawn, then the number of boxes increases, while the side length ofeach box shrinks. The box-counting dimension for a route S is defined bycomparing the number of boxes N covering the route to the inverse of theside length as the box side length 8 approaches zero:

${\dim_{box}(S)}:={\lim\limits_{ɛ\rightarrow 0}\frac{\log \left( {N(ɛ)} \right)}{\log \left( {1/ɛ} \right)}}$

While FIG. 6 demonstrates a box-counting procedure for a two-dimensionalroute, the box-counting method and other methods for determining fractaldimension can be used in additional dimensions. The maximum fractaldimension for a curve in N dimensions is N. For example, elevation alonga route can be added so that location data is available in threedimensions; in this case, cube-counting can be used to determine fractaldimension, and the fractal dimension is in the range of 1 to 3.Additional data, such as vehicle speed, acceleration, jerk, orientation,etc. can add additional dimensions. While these additional dimensionsare harder to visualize, the fractal dimension can similarly becalculated. In other embodiments, multiple different fractal dimensionscan be calculated for the different types of data or differentcombinations of data. More detail about calculating fractal dimensioncan be found in “Estimating Fractal Dimension” by James Theiler,published in Volume 7, Number 6 of the Journal of the Optical Society ofAmerica A (June 1990), the entirety of which is incorporated herein byreference.

Another measure for analyzing the route is lacunarity, which describeshow a fractal fills space. Lacunarity is often calculated in conjunctionwith fractal dimension. Two shapes with the same fractal dimension canhave different lacunarities; denser fractals have lower lacunarity,whereas coarser fractals with large gaps or holes have higherlacunarity. In other words, a more heterogeneous path having periods ofhigh complexity and periods of low complexity will have a higherlacunarity than a more homogeneous path of the same fractal dimensionand having more moderate complexity. Lacunarity can be calculated usinga gliding box method with a box size of r as follows:

${\mathcal{L}(r)} = \frac{\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{r^{2}}{S_{i}^{2}{Q\left( {S_{i},r} \right)}}}{\left( {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{r^{2}}{S_{i}^{2}{Q\left( {S_{i},r} \right)}}} \right)^{2}}$

S_(i) is the number of filled data points in the box and Q (S_(i), r) isthe normalized frequency distribution of S_(i) for different box sizes.More detail about calculating lacunarity and fractal geometries can befound in The Fractal Geometry of Nature by B. B. Mandelbrot (1983), theentirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

As mentioned previously, vehicle kinematics other than location can bemeasured and analyzed to determine the complexity of a route. Forexample, changes in orientation can be used to measure complexity. Ahigher number of times or a higher frequency with which a driver changesdirection is associated with a more complex route with more turns. Theroad that the driver is on and/or the amount of change in orientationcan be used to distinguish between a driver behavior, such as a lanechange, and a route characteristic, such a turn from one road ontoanother road. Other potential complexity measurements include a numberor frequency of times a vehicle comes to a full stop along a route orthe amount of time the vehicle spends at a full stop, which correlatesto the amount of time the driver is at stoplights or stopped in traffic.

In some embodiments, route complexities may be calculated after data hasbeen collected for the plurality of trips. For example, if a drivercollects data over a time period which is saved on the data collectiondevice 104 and then either the device itself or the data from the deviceis sent to the insurance company system 108 or data processing service106, then the route complexities for all of the trips are calculated atroughly the same time and right before the complexity rating iscalculated. In other embodiments, particularly if the data collectiondevice 104 is calculating route complexities or if data is sent to thedata processing service 106 or insurance company system 108 continuallyor at frequent intervals, the route complexity is calculated shortlyafter the completion of each trip.

Once one or more complexity measurements have been calculated for theplurality of trips, an aggregate complexity rating is calculated (step406). The aggregate complexity rating can be an average or weightedaverage of the route complexities. For example, route complexities canbe weighted by the distance or time duration of the trip by multiplyingthe route complexity for a route by the distance or length of the routeso that longer trips have a greater weight than shorter trips in theaggregate score. In other embodiments, rather than weighting the trips,the route complexity is calculated at predetermined distance or timeintervals. For example, a route complexity can be calculated for eachmile traveled or each minute of driving. This also avoids giving toolittle weight to long trips and too much weight to short trips. Ifmultiple fractal dimensions were calculated for multiple types of datacollected, these fractal dimensions can be weighted and combined in theaggregate complexity rating.

An insurance premium for the vehicle is then determined based on thecomplexity rating (step 408). A vehicle having a higher aggregatecomplexity rating typically takes more complex routes than a vehiclewith a lower complexity rating and, therefore, is more likely to be inan accident. So, a vehicle that typically travels complex routes isoffered a higher insurance premium than the same vehicle with the sameowner that typically travels less complex routes. Other factors, such asvehicle type, age, value, and storage location and driver age, drivinghistory, residence, and primary driving locations can be used in settingthe insurance premium pricing.

Additional telematics data, such as maximum speed, average speed,driving locations, time of day of travel, vehicle safety, etc. can alsobe used for setting the insurance premium price. The additional data canbe combined with the complexity score to form a trip safety score. Insome embodiments, the additional data, particularly vehicle kinematicsdata (i.e., speed, velocity, acceleration, jerk, etc.) is used to gaugehow a driver responds to routes. Drivers respond differently to routes,particularly complex routes; for example, some drivers make fastaccelerations, decelerations, change lanes, and turns more readily thanothers who drive more smoothly. The first type of driver experiencesmore safety events and may be more likely to have an accident than thesmoother second type of driver. More severe safety events, e.g., fasteror harder accelerations or decelerations, also increase the likelihoodthat the vehicle will have an accident. So, the frequency of safetyevents, as well as the type of safety events and severity of the events,can be used in classifying a driver's driving habits and determining theinsurance premium.

The complexity rating can be used for retroactive, real-time orprospective insurance premium pricing. A scheme for real-time pricing isdescribed in relation to FIG. 8. For retroactive pricing, a customer canpay a preset price for automobile insurance coverage for a period oftime, wherein the preset price assumes a certain complexity rating.During the time period or a portion of the time period, the customer'strips are monitored to determine a complexity rating. At the end of thetime period, the customer is given a refund or a credit if thecustomer's actual complexity rating was lower than the assumedcomplexity rating of the preset price. In some embodiments, the customeris charged a surcharge if the actual complexity rating was higher thanthe assumed complexity rating of the preset price. For prospectivepricing, the complexities of trips taken by a customer during one timeperiod are used for determining a price for an automobile insurancepremium for a different, later time period. For example, a current orprospective customer could install a data collection device in his carfor a period of time and send the data collection device to theinsurance company or a third party, which calculates the complexityrating to be used for adjusting future premium prices. The customer orthe insurance company may request that a new complexity rating berecalculated using new data when the driver's route complexities aremore likely change, e.g., if the customer moves, changes jobs, has achild, or retires, or at certain time periods, e.g., every year, everytwo years, every three years, every five years, every ten years, etc. Insome embodiments, both prospective pricing and retroactive pricing areused. For example, a customer being continually monitored can be chargeda premium for a time period based on one or more past complexityratings, and if the customer's actual complexity rating for the timeperiod was greater than or less than the expected rating, a refund,credit, or surcharge may be applied.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method 700 for determining how much routecomplexity data to collect and, when data collection is complete,computing a complexity rating for a driver and computing an insurancepremium based on the complexity rating. An adequate number of routesshould be traveled by the vehicle so that a complexity rating can bedetermined that is fairly consistent over time and will accuratelydescribe future trips taken by the vehicle. Furthermore, the datacollection device 104 should be installed long enough that it becomesinfeasible for the driver to modify his routes or driving habits to foolthe insurance company or, if the driver succeeds in modifying his routesor driving habits, new habits form so that the driver drives moresmoothly and/or takes less complex routes even in the absence of thedata collection device 104. The method 700 is similar to the method 400,but it includes a loop for determining if enough data was collected andcollecting additional data if enough data was not collected.

A minimum number of trips, a minimum driving distance, and/or a minimumdriving time are determined before beginning data collection. Forexample, the vehicle must be driven for a certain number of hours, datamust be collected over a period of one or more months, the vehicle mustbe driven a minimum of tens or hundreds or times, or the vehicle must bedriven for hundreds or thousands of miles. One or more of these minimumsis reached before a complexity rating can be used to price the insurancepolicy. Once one or more minimums are determined, the data collectiondevice 104 begins obtaining data (step 702). At certain points, such asafter each trip, mile, or hour traveled, the data collection device 104,data processing service 106, or insurance company system 108 controllingthe data collection device 104 determines whether the minimum(s) havebeen reached (decision 704). If the minimum(s) have not been reached,data collection continues (step 702). If the minimum(s) have beenreached, then route complexity scores are determined (step 706) if theyhad not already been, and the consistency of the complexity rating isanalyzed (step 708) to determine how consistent the complexity rating isover time. Some vehicles may require a fewer number of trips, less time,and less distance to attain a complexity rating that is consistent andcan be relied upon for pricing the insurance premium. For example, thegeo-spatial route complexity rating for a vehicle that is used solelyfor commuting to and from work can be characterized with as little as asingle trip driving along the commuting route. After a fairly low numberof trips, it becomes clear that an adequate number of route samples havebeen collected. On the other hand, the route complexity for a family carthat a parent uses to run errands, drive to school, drive to afterschool activities, and drive to social engagements would require agreater number of trips to adequately characterize.

The consistency of the complexity rating can be analyzed by observationor computation. The complexity rating can be calculated as a function oftime as additional route complexity scores are factored in. For example,at time t=1, the complexity rating is the first complexity score; attime t=2, the complexity rating is the weighted average of the first twocomplexity scores; and so forth. Regression analysis can be performed onthe complexity rating vs. time data to determine if the time isstatistically significant, indicating that the complexity is notstationary in time. In this case, more data should be collected untilthe complexity rating is stationary in time. So, the minimum amount ofdata to be collected is increased, and the data collection device 104collects additional data (step 702). In some embodiments, time seriesanalysis can also be used to describe variation in route complexitiesover time. In most cases, route complexity is considered to be eitherstationary in time or cyclostationary, but in some embodiments, timeseries forecasting can attempt to predict the complexity of futuretrips.

Once enough data has been collected, the insurance premium is determined(step 712). In analyzing the consistency of the complexity rating, thecomplexity rating is often calculated, but if the complexity rating hasnot been calculated, it is calculated before computing the insurancepremium. Step 712 is similar to step 408 described above in relation toFIG. 4.

In another embodiment of the invention, the complexity of a route can beanalyzed before the route is taken, which allows the insurance companyto price individual routes before they are driven. This can be used in aprepaid insurance policy in which a driver can pay for insurance forindividual trips. A navigation device, such as the data collectiondevice 104 if configured for providing navigation assistance, candetermine a route and output the complexity of a route and the price ofinsurance for this route to the user. In other implementations, a webinterface on a personal computing device, such as a desktop computer,laptop computer, netbook, tablet computer, or smartphone can be used fortrip planning. With this information, the user can then decide whetheror not to take the route. If the navigation device outputs a complexroute with a relatively high premium, the user may decide to take a lesscomplex route with a lower insurance premium. In some embodiments, theuser can choose how much coverage to purchase based on the routecomplexity; for example, the user may purchase additional coverage for amore complex route but less coverage for a less complex route that thedriver is more comfortable on.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method 800 for use in a prepaid orpay-as-you-go insurance system. The method 800 involves determining acomplexity rating for a route and setting the price of an insurancepremium for a future trip based on the complexity of the route. Themethod 800 includes the steps of obtaining a destination from a user(802), calculating the least-cost route (804), outputting the least-costroute and its cost (806), receiving user input (808), and eithercalculating a different route (810), allowing the user to adjust theroute (812), or setting the route (814).

First, the user inputs a desired destination using, for example, atouchpad, keyboard, or microphone. The data collection device 104 canprovide search features, autocomplete features, and/or other featuresused in navigation devices for aiding in destination input. The datacollection device 104 then calculates the least cost route to thedestination, considering the price of the insurance for the route basedon route complexity, the cost of wear and tear to the vehicle due toroad quality, the price of fuel (at stations along the route ifavailable), the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, traffic conditions, tollinformation, and driving habit information. Traffic conditions influenceboth route complexity and the cost of fuel, as highly trafficked roadsrequire more stopping and starting and greater fuel consumption thanless trafficked roads. Driving habit information may also impact boththe price of insurance and the fuel efficiency. The route cost alsodepends on the route length and total fuel consumption, which bothdepend on several of the aforementioned variables. Various routeassignment calculations, such as heuristic approaches, weighted shortestpath algorithms (e.g., Dijkstra's algorithm or the Bellman-Fordalgorithm), the Frank-Wolfe algorithm, and equilibrium assignment, canbe used independently or in conjunction with each other to determine theleast-cost route to the destination. Route assignment algorithms comparethe cost of a route or the cost of a part of a route to the cost ofanother route or part of a route. So, the route assignment involvesselecting a least or less cost route between two or more alternativeroutes. In some embodiments, the time to get to the destination is alsoconsidered and assigned a cost.

The least-cost route is then outputted to the user along with the cost(step 806), allowing the user to make a decision on the route (decision808). If the user is not satisfied with the route, he can request adifferent route, possibly with additional parameters (e.g., no tollroads, no highways, excluding certain roads, avoiding traffic, etc.) orchanges to the relative importance of cost, time, and distance (step810). Then, the method returns to step 804 and a new least-cost route iscalculated or the next low-cost route is returned. Alternatively, if theuser is not satisfied with the route, he may adjust the route to hisliking by, for example, manually dragging the route or part of the routeto a different roadway using the touch screen (step 812). After the userhas completed manually updating the route, the route and the cost areoutputted to the user, who can again decide whether to accept the routeor make further adjustments or to calculate a different route. Once theuser has adjusted the route to his liking or accepted the route withoutadjusting it, the data collection device 104 displays the route and/orturn-by-turn to the user (step 814). The data collection device 104collects data as the vehicle travels along the route. If the driver goesoff the path of the route, the insurance premium is recalculated for thenew route and the user is alerted. Additionally, data collected alongthe route can be added to the stored driver habit information for use inpricing future routes. The driver is billed based on the route taken,and may be billed after the user accepts the route or after the driverhas reached his destination.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a graphical user interface 900 of a webapplication for use with a pay-as-you-go insurance policy. The webapplication can be accessed on a personal computing device, such as theuser terminal 130 of FIG. 1, which can be, for example a desktopcomputer, laptop computer, netbook, tablet computer, or smartphone. Insome implementations, the web application can be a stand aloneapplication for a smartphone or tablet computer. The graphical userinterface 900 provides route and cost information based on locationsdetermined by a user. In some embodiments, the user signs into an onlineaccount for his insurance policy to access the Pay-As-You-Go TripPlanner. Once the user is identified, the web application can accessstored account data used for calculating the insurance price, such aspolicy information, vehicle type, vehicle fuel efficiency, and drivinghabit information. As with the route selected by the data collectiondevice 104 described in relation to FIG. 8, the route between two pointsas shown in the graphical user interface 900 is selected for reducingone or more of cost, length, and time.

Box 902 allows the user to input his starting and ending points. In manyembodiments, the user will be able to input addresses or points ofinterest, but as shown, less specific location information, e.g., cityand state or zip code, can be entered to get an estimated cost for atrip. Once the user enters both the starting and ending location, theweb application calculates a route, e.g. the least cost route, theshortest route, or the fastest route, to the ending location from thestarting location. The total expected travel time and distance areoutput on the right side of box 902.

Box 904 gives the total price and price breakdown of the route. Box 904includes the price of gasoline, the cost of any tolls along the route,and the cost for insurance, which can be determined as previouslydescribed. The total cost is displayed below the price breakdown.Additional costs, such as vehicle wear, may also be included in theprice. The least cost route is shown in boxes 906 and 908. Box 906 liststurn-by-turn directions, and box 908 shows a map of the route.

Once the route has been outputted, the user can select the route or makechanges to the route using buttons 910-916. To select the trip, the userclicks button 910 (“Select Trip”), which may cause one or more of thefollowing actions: print the route directions and/or map; displayprintable directions in the graphical user interface 900 or a pop-upwindow; send the directions to an in-vehicle navigation device, cellularphone, smartphone, or other device that can be used in a vehicle over awired or wireless connection; and charge the user's payment account. Insome implementations, the user's final insurance price for the trip isassessed after the user has completed his trip, as described in relationto FIG. 4. In some implementations, the user can lock a price outputtedby the web application with the condition that the user follows theroute; if the user does not follow the route, he is charged theinsurance price for the route that he actually drove. Locking in theprice prevents unforeseen events, such as heavy traffic, that mayincrease the complexity of the route from impacting the price of theroute.

If the user wants to find a different route between the starting andending locations, he can use buttons 912-916. Button 912 allows the userto manually change the route by, for example, dragging and dropping theroute in the map 908. Other buttons may show common routing preferencesthat were not selected. For example, button 914 (“Find Shortest Route”)causes the web application to return the route with the fewest miles,regardless of cost or time. Any other common routing preferences, suchas least time, toll avoidance, and lowest cost, can be included asbuttons so that the user can see a different route with one click. Ifthe currently displayed route is one of these common routing preferenceson a button, that button may not be on the screen or it may be grayedout. Button 916 (“Change Routing Preferences”) navigates to anotherwindow or opens a second window allowing the user to adjust the routingpreferences, such as whether to avoid tolls and whether to minimizecost, time, or miles. The user may want a route with a balance betweenmultiple factors, e.g., low cost and low time. The user can selectweights or other indicators of importance of these factors. In someembodiments, the user can input maximums for one or more of cost, time,or miles, preventing the Trip Planner from returning routes that have acost, expected duration, or length above the threshold. A user'spreferred set of options may be stored between uses of the webapplication and be automatically loaded when the user navigates to thePay-As-You-Go Trip Planner. In some embodiments, the web applicationtracks the user's past travel data, including trip complexity data, overtime. The application can output this information to the user using, forexample, metrics and graphs.

While preferable embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the artthat such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerousvariations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the invention. It should be understoodthat various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention describedherein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended thatthe following claims define the scope of the invention and that methodsand structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents becovered thereby.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer system for determining an insurancepremium, comprising: one or more data storage devices storing: datareceived from one or more data collection sensors and collected by theone or more data collection sensors while within a vehicle during atleast one trip by the vehicle, the received data comprising at leastdata indicative of changes in orientation of the vehicle during the atleast one trip; and a central processing unit comprising one or moreprocessors, wherein the central processing unit is configured to:retrieve from the one or more data storage devices at least a portion ofthe data indicative of changes in orientation of the vehicle receivedfrom the one or more data collection sensors; determine a tripcomplexity score of the at least one trip based on at least a fractaldimension of a route traversed by the vehicle during the at least onetrip derived from the data indicative of changes in orientation of thevehicle received from the one or more data collection sensors; store thedetermined trip complexity score; determine a premium for automobileinsurance for the vehicle based at least in part on the determined tripcomplexity score; and output the determined automobile insurancepremium.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data received from theone or more data collection sensors further comprises data indicative ofacceleration and deceleration of the vehicle collected by the one ormore data collection sensors while within the vehicle during the atleast one trip, and the central processing unit is further configured todetermine the trip complexity score further based on at least the dataindicative of acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle during the atleast one trip.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data received fromthe one or more data collection sensors further comprises globalpositioning data collected by the one or more data collection sensorswhile within the vehicle during the at least one trip, and the centralprocessing unit is further configured to determine the trip complexityscore further based on at least the global positioning data.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more data collection sensors aresensors of a data collection device, the data collection device furthercomprising a central processing unit in communication with the one ormore data collection sensors, and a memory, a user interface and awireless communications device in communication with the centralprocessing unit.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more datacollection sensors comprise at least one accelerometer and at least oneglobal navigation satellite system receiver.
 6. The system of claim 4,wherein the data collection device is further configured for connectionto a computer system of the vehicle via an OBD port connector, and thecentral processing unit is further configured to retrieve data receivedfrom the vehicle computer system and to determine the premium forautomobile insurance for the vehicle at least in part on the datareceived from the vehicle computer system.
 7. The system of claim 1,wherein the central processing unit is further configured to determinean overall complexity rating for a driver based on complexity scorescalculated for a plurality of trips taken by the driver, and todetermine the premium for automobile insurance based at least in part onthe overall complexity rating.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein thecentral processing unit is further configured to determine the overallcomplexity rating by weighting complexity scores for the plurality oftrips by at least one of distance and time duration of the trips.
 9. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the central processing unit is configured todetermine the fractal dimension of the route based on at least one ofbox-counting dimension calculation, correlation dimension calculationand Lyaponuv exponents calculation.
 10. The system for collectingvehicle data and determining an insurance premium, comprising: anon-transitory computer-readable medium, the non-transitorycomputer-readable medium storing processor-executable instructionsthereon, which instructions, when executed by a processor of a datacollection device, cause the processor of the data collection device to:receive from one or more data collection sensors of the data collectiondevice, data collected by the one or more data collection sensors whilewithin the vehicle during at least one trip by the vehicle, the receiveddata comprising at least data indicative of changes in orientation ofthe vehicle during the at least one trip; provide at least a portion ofthe received data to an insurance computing system; and an insurancecomputing system, comprising: one or more data storage devicesconfigured to store data provided by the data collection device inaccordance with the instructions on the non-transitory computer-readablemedium; and a central processing unit comprising one or more processors,wherein the central processing unit is configured to: retrieve from theone or more data storage devices at least a portion of the dataindicative of changes in orientation of the vehicle received from thedata collection device; determine a trip complexity score of the atleast one trip based on at least a fractal dimension of a routetraversed by the vehicle during the at least one trip derived from thedata indicative of changes in orientation of the vehicle received fromthe data collection device; store the determined trip complexity score;determine a premium for automobile insurance for the vehicle based atleast in part on the determined trip complexity score; and output thedetermined automobile insurance premium.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein the instructions further cause the processor of the datacollection device to calculate trip complexity and provide dataindicative of the calculated trip complexity to the insurance computingsystem.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions furthercause the processor of the data collection device to receive and provideto the insurance computing system additional vehicle data including oneor more of speed data, driving location data, time of day of travel dataand vehicle safety data, and wherein the central processing unit of theinsurance computing system is further configured to base the insurancepremium at least in part on the additional vehicle data.
 13. The systemof claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor of thedata collection device to receive from a vehicle computer system dataabout one or more of vehicle speed, number of miles traveled, whetherthe vehicle is running or not, seatbelt usage, airbag deployment andvehicle diagnostics, and to provide the data received from the vehiclecomputer system to the insurance computing system.
 14. The system ofclaim 10, wherein the instructions cause the processor of the datacollection device to provide data to the insurance computing system viaa wireless communications device of the data collection device.
 15. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the instructions cause the processor of thedata collection device to store data in a memory of the data collectiondevice at intervals based on determined route complexity.
 16. Acomputer-implemented method for determining an insurance premium,comprising: storing in one or more data storage devices of an insurancecomputing system: data received from one or more data collection sensorsand collected by the one or more data collection sensors while within avehicle during at least one trip by the vehicle, the received datacomprising at least data indicative of changes in orientation of thevehicle during the at least one trip; retrieving by one or moreprocessors of the insurance computing system from the one or more datastorage devices at least a portion of the data indicative of changes inorientation of the vehicle received from the one or more data collectionsensors; determining by the one or more processors a trip complexityscore of the at least one trip based on at least a fractal dimension ofa route traversed by the vehicle during the at least one trip derivedfrom the data indicative of changes in orientation of the vehiclereceived from the one or more data collection sensors; storing by theone or more processors the determined trip complexity score in one ormore data storage devices; determining by the one or more processors apremium for automobile insurance for the vehicle based at least in parton the determined trip complexity score; and outputting by the one ormore processors the determined automobile insurance premium.
 17. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the one or more datacollection sensors are sensors of a data collection device, the datacollection device further comprising a central processing unit incommunication with the one or more data collection sensors, and amemory, a user interface and a wireless communications device incommunication with the central processing unit, the memory comprisingcomputer-readable instructions which, when executed by the centralprocessing unit, cause data collected by the one or more data collectionsensors to be transmitted by the wireless communications device to theinsurance computing system.
 18. The computer-implemented method of claim16, wherein the determining a premium comprises one of determining apremium for a new automobile insurance plan, retroactively adjusting apremium for a period during which the data was collected by the one ormore data collection sensors, and prospectively adjusting a premium forautomobile insurance for a future period.
 19. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 16, further comprising determining an overall complexityrating for a driver based on complexity scores calculated for aplurality of trips taken by the driver, and determining the premium forautomobile insurance based at least in part on the overall complexityrating.
 20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the oneor more data collection sensors comprise at least an accelerometer and aglobal navigation satellite system receiver, and the determining thefractal dimension of the route comprises using both accelerometer dataand global positioning data.